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Interdisciplinary Research Shows Today‚Äôs Parents Hinder The Brain Development of Children

Our society has officially produced a generation of parents which
retard the growth of children in more ways than one. A child‚Äôs healthy
brain and emotional development are being hindered by social practices
and cultural beliefs of modern life, according to an interdisciplinary
body of research presented recently at a symposium at the University of
Notre Dame.

‚ÄúLife outcomes for American youth are worsening, especially in
comparison to 50 years ago,‚ÄĚ says Darcia Narvaez, Notre Dame professor
of psychology who specializes in moral development in children and how
early life experiences can influence brain development.

‚ÄúIll-advised practices and beliefs have become commonplace in our
culture, such as the use of infant formula, the isolation of infants in
their own rooms or the belief that responding too quickly to a fussing
baby will ‚Äėspoil‚Äô it,‚ÄĚ Narvaez says.

Dr. Eileen Montgomery, Naturopathic Physician and child health
specialist concurs with the assessments and conclusions of the
interdisciplinary research. ‚ÄúThis generation of parents believe that
vaccines, with all their toxic excipients and preservatives, are more
beneficial for a child‚Äôs health than their mother‚Äôs breast milk,‚ÄĚ she
stated.

This new research links certain early, nurturing parenting practices ‚ÄĒ
the kind common in foraging hunter-gatherer societies ‚ÄĒ to specific,
healthy emotional outcomes in adulthood, and has many experts rethinking
some of our modern, cultural childrearing ‚Äúnorms.‚ÄĚ

‚ÄúBreastfeeding infants, responsiveness to crying, almost constant
touch and having multiple adult caregivers are some of the nurturing
ancestral parenting practices that are shown to positively impact the
developing brain, which not only shapes personality, but also helps
physical health and moral development,‚ÄĚ says Narvaez.

In 2011, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (MJS), launched a shocking misinformation campaign to
advise all fathers and mothers that they need not listen to their
parental instincts when it comes to sleeping with their babies. Instead,
these instincts should be ignored and replaced with illogical, unproven
and unscientific claims regarding sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
and that co-sleeping ‚Äúcan be just as dangerous‚ÄĚ for your infant as them
sleeping with knives.

‚ÄúPublic officials routinely assert their influence over the greater
wisdom of parents whose natural instincts in caring for children is
somehow misplaced and misguided in their view‚ÄĚ said Montgomery. ‚ÄúIt‚Äôs
baffling how there is a fundamental disconnect between natural parenting
skills and health officials‚Ä¶it is deeply distorted.‚ÄĚ

Studies show that responding to a baby‚Äôs needs (not letting a baby
‚Äúcry it out‚ÄĚ) has been shown to influence the development of conscience;
positive touch affects stress reactivity, impulse control and empathy;
free play in nature influences social capacities and aggression, and a
set of supportive caregivers (beyond mother alone) predicts IQ and ego
resilience as well as empathy.

Mothers aren‚Äôt the only ones who are biologically adapted to respond
to children. Other research from the University of Notre Dame showed
thatdads who sleep near their children experience a drop in testosterone.
Previous research from humans and other species suggests this decrease
might make men more responsive to their children‚Äôs needs and help them
focus on the demands of parenthood.

The United States has been on a downward trajectory on all of these
care characteristics, according to Narvaez. Instead of being held,
infants spend much more time in carriers, car seats and strollers than
they did in the past. Only about 15 percent of mothers are breastfeeding
at all by 12 months, extended families are broken up and free play
allowed by parents has decreased dramatically since 1970.

Whether the corollary to these modern practices or the result of
other forces, research shows an epidemic of anxiety and depression among
all age groups, including young children; rising rates of aggressive
behavior and delinquency in young children; and decreasing empathy, the
backbone of compassionate, moral behavior, among college students.

According to Narvaez, however, other relatives and teachers also can
have a beneficial impact when a child feels safe in their presence.
Also, early deficits can be made up later, she says.

‚ÄúThe right brain, which governs much of our self-regulation,
creativity and empathy, can grow throughout life. The right brain grows
though full-body experience like rough-and-tumble play, dancing or
freelance artistic creation. So at any point, a parent can take up a
creative activity with a child and they can grow together.‚ÄĚ

It‚Äôs time for parents to ignore the advice of health officials,
physicians or any other person who opposes the natural care-giving
instincts hard-wired into every mother and father. Love knows best so
ignore the rest.

April McCarthy is
a community journalist playing an active role reporting and analyzing
world events to advance our health and eco-friendly initiatives.

Pretty sure the breakup of families and the lack of direct parenting has far more to do with the way kids turn out than how long mom breastfeeds. What ever happened to reading to your kids, teaching them to do puzzles and sing their ABCs and color and fingerpaint and climb trees and ride a bike? "Baby Einstein" and cartoons are a poor supplement to parents who actually bother to spend time with their kids.

Pretty sure the breakup of families and the lack of direct parenting has far more to do with the way kids turn out than how long mom breastfeeds. What ever happened to reading to your kids, teaching them to do puzzles and sing their ABCs and color and fingerpaint and climb trees and ride a bike? "Baby Einstein" and cartoons are a poor supplement to parents who actually bother to spend time with their kids.

Studies show that responding to a baby‚Äôs needs (not letting a baby
‚Äúcry it out‚ÄĚ) has been shown to influence the development of conscience;
positive touch affects stress reactivity, impulse control and empathy;
free play in nature influences social capacities and aggression, and a
set of supportive caregivers (beyond mother alone) predicts IQ and ego
resilience as well as empathy.

Mothers aren‚Äôt the only ones who are biologically adapted to respond
to children. Other research from the University of Notre Dame showed
thatdads who sleep near their children experience a drop in testosterone.
Previous research from humans and other species suggests this decrease
might make men more responsive to their children‚Äôs needs and help them
focus on the demands of parenthood.

The United States has been on a downward trajectory on all of these
care characteristics, according to Narvaez. Instead of being held,
infants spend much more time in carriers, car seats and strollers than
they did in the past. Only about 15 percent of mothers are breastfeeding
at all by 12 months, extended families are broken up and free play
allowed by parents has decreased dramatically since 1970.

Quoting B1Bomber:

Pretty sure the breakup of families and the lack of direct parenting has far more to do with the way kids turn out than how long mom breastfeeds. What ever happened to reading to your kids, teaching them to do puzzles and sing their ABCs and color and fingerpaint and climb trees and ride a bike? "Baby Einstein" and cartoons are a poor supplement to parents who actually bother to spend time with their kids.

This is what I was going to say. Pretty sure my love of reading books to my DS and lack of TV are going to have a larger impact on him than breastfeeding. Utter tripe this article.

Quoting B1Bomber:

Pretty sure the breakup of families and the lack of direct parenting has far more to do with the way kids turn out than how long mom breastfeeds. What ever happened to reading to your kids, teaching them to do puzzles and sing their ABCs and color and fingerpaint and climb trees and ride a bike? "Baby Einstein" and cartoons are a poor supplement to parents who actually bother to spend time with their kids.

Studies show that responding to a baby‚Äôs needs (not letting a baby
‚Äúcry it out‚ÄĚ) has been shown to influence the development of conscience;
positive touch affects stress reactivity, impulse control and empathy;
free play in nature influences social capacities and aggression, and a
set of supportive caregivers (beyond mother alone) predicts IQ and ego
resilience as well as empathy.

Mothers aren‚Äôt the only ones who are biologically adapted to respond
to children. Other research from the University of Notre Dame showed
thatdads who sleep near their children experience a drop in testosterone.
Previous research from humans and other species suggests this decrease
might make men more responsive to their children‚Äôs needs and help them
focus on the demands of parenthood.

The United States has been on a downward trajectory on all of these
care characteristics, according to Narvaez. Instead of being held,
infants spend much more time in carriers, car seats and strollers than
they did in the past. Only about 15 percent of mothers are breastfeeding
at all by 12 months, extended families are broken up and free play
allowed by parents has decreased dramatically since 1970.

Quoting itsm3:

this.

Quoting B1Bomber:

Pretty sure the breakup of families and the lack of direct parenting has far more to do with the way kids turn out than how long mom breastfeeds. What ever happened to reading to your kids, teaching them to do puzzles and sing their ABCs and color and fingerpaint and climb trees and ride a bike? "Baby Einstein" and cartoons are a poor supplement to parents who actually bother to spend time with their kids.

Studies show that responding to a baby‚Äôs needs (not letting a baby
‚Äúcry it out‚ÄĚ) has been shown to influence the development of conscience;
positive touch affects stress reactivity, impulse control and empathy;
free play in nature influences social capacities and aggression, and a
set of supportive caregivers (beyond mother alone) predicts IQ and ego
resilience as well as empathy.

Mothers aren‚Äôt the only ones who are biologically adapted to respond
to children. Other research from the University of Notre Dame showed
thatdads who sleep near their children experience a drop in testosterone.
Previous research from humans and other species suggests this decrease
might make men more responsive to their children‚Äôs needs and help them
focus on the demands of parenthood.

The United States has been on a downward trajectory on all of these
care characteristics, according to Narvaez. Instead of being held,
infants spend much more time in carriers, car seats and strollers than
they did in the past. Only about 15 percent of mothers are breastfeeding
at all by 12 months, extended families are broken up and free play
allowed by parents has decreased dramatically since 1970.

Quoting furbabymum:

This is what I was going to say. Pretty sure my love of reading books to my DS and lack of TV are going to have a larger impact on him than breastfeeding. Utter tripe this article.

Quoting B1Bomber:

Pretty sure the breakup of families and the lack of direct parenting has far more to do with the way kids turn out than how long mom breastfeeds. What ever happened to reading to your kids, teaching them to do puzzles and sing their ABCs and color and fingerpaint and climb trees and ride a bike? "Baby Einstein" and cartoons are a poor supplement to parents who actually bother to spend time with their kids.

Send me email updates about messages I've received on the site and the latest news from The CafeMom Team.
By signing up, you certify that you are female and accept the Terms of Service and have read the
Privacy Policy.